Volcanism 

Recent volcanism in the Lesser Antilles (ie. historically recorded) includes the following: 

Soufriere (St. Vincent) 
Qualibou Caldera (St. Lucia) 
Montagne Pelee (Martinique) 
Valley of Desolation (Dominica) 
La Soufriere (Guadaloupe) 
Soufriere Hills (Montserrat) 
Mount Misery (St. Kitts) 

The volcanic activity includes magmatic, phreatic, or fumarolic activity. Hot spring activity occurs on the islands of Nevis and Saba .

The above recent and extinct volcanoes make up the Lesser Antilles Magmatic Arc, which is the result of magma generated during subduction of the wet, dense oceanic lithosphere. As the cold, dense oceanic crust is being subducted, some wet oceanic sediment is also being dragged down. It is the presence of water that lowers the melting temperature of the rocks overlying the subducting slab and enables partial melting to occur. The resulting magma then rises to the surface to form the types of volcanoes seen making up the Lesser Antilles Magmatic Arc. These volcanoes are explosive due to the high volatile content and viscosity of the magma.

 
 
 
 

Volcano Locations 

 

Magma formation at a subduction zone. 

 

Igneous activity through time.